by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright March 1, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

ounting casualties, a growing insurgency and looming prospects for civil war have taken a toll on U.S. troops, battling morale problems in Iraq. Seventy-two percent of troops now believe the U.S. should leave Iraq within a year, according to a new poll conducted by Le Moyne College's Center for Peace and Global and Zogby International. It's not surprising that 58% of Marines seek an exit strategy, while 70% of regular duty Army troops support a way out. Proving that the Pentagon does a better job at propaganda than first thought by Defense Secretary Donald M. Rumsfeld, the survey found that an astonishing 85% believe that the main mission in Iraq was to retaliate against Saddam Hussein for his role in Sept. 11. Even though President George W. Bush has publicly acknowledged that Saddam was not involved in 9/11, the White House continues to suggest otherwise.

      Speech after speech, Bush recites the same talking points that the war in Iraq will somehow keep terrorists off American streets. Calling Iraq the “central front in the war on terror,” makes the same veiled connection to the band of Islamic extremists responsible for Sept. 11. No U.S. or international analysis has concluded that Iraq's Sunnis, Shiites or Kurds had anything to do with Sept. 11. “We were surprised by that, especially the 85% [figure],” said Zoby, concerned that American troops lacked the real facts surrounding the war. Yet Iraq's foreign terrorists, including Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, are viewed by the White House as threats to the U.S. homeland. There's so much misinformation about the insurgency that foreign terrorists, Saddam dead-enders and Baath Party loyalists are all lumped together, regardless of the threat to U.S. national security.

      Dropping to 34%, the latest CBS News poll indicated the growing numbers of people find Bush's performance disturbing. “If I worried about polls, I wouldn't be doing my job,” Bush told Elizabeth Vargas in an exclusive interview aired on “World News Tonight,” dismissing polls as an ugly part of the job. Polls should tell Bush whether he's heading in the right direction. When Bush's past low approval ratings rose by a few percent following the State of the Union message, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan touted the up-tick as reason for optimism. Vice President Dick Cheney's recent hunting accident and Bush's Dubai Ports World deal also hasn't helped his polls, sending a bad message to prospective voters heading into the Midyear elections. Bush still feels he has “ample capital” to carry out policies the public questions and finds distasteful.

      Calling the Ports World Deal good for America, Bush now contends with overwhelming public opposition to handing over operations at six key U.S. ports to the United Arab Emirates. While there's a 45-day security review in place, it makes the White House look like they were railroading the plan. Agreeing with a moratorium isn't consistent with the idea that the Dubai Ports World deal was properly vetted. Recent reports by the U.S. Coast Guard indicate that officials had some serious reservations. Bush's push to close the deal together with growing concerns in Iraq have cost him in the polls, spilling over into the public's view on Iraq and domestic issues. Concerns about whether the UAE participates in the Arab League's boycott of Israel also haven't helped matters, leaving some U.S. senators—and the American public—suspicious of the pending deal.

      Losing credibility in one area begins to take its toll on the White House as they roll out other foreign and domestic policy agendas. Saying he isn't concerned about polls, Bush creates anxiety in fellow Republicans heading into Midyear elections. Even evangelical Christians, Bush's most loyal voting bloc, can't divert public attention away from Iraq and the Dubai Ports World deal to South Dakota's effort to challenge Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court's 1973 landmark ruling legalizing abortion. Too much bad news in Iraq and elsewhere has impacted Bush's approval, contributing to the lowest ratings since former president Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon and Jimmy Carter. Old talking points, like keeping terrorists off American soil, aren't persuading too many people that the current mission in Iraq is doable. More violence and anarchy has created doubt in U.S. troops.

      Zogby's recent findings indicate that growing numbers of U.S. troops—including diehard marines—doubt whether the current mission can be completed. Seventy-two percent of the military believe the U.S. should leave Iraq within one year. Most troops are trained that opposing to the mission constitutes disloyalty, attesting to why 37% believe those that want out are unpatriotic. Cheney's hunting fiasco and Bush's port deal has shaken confidence in our leaders ability to plan, execute and succeed in the current mission. While 85% of troops believe that Saddam had something to do with Sept. 11, growing number fail to see the Iraq war as vital to U.S. national security. Far more see Iraq as an ongoing hemorrhage to the national treasury, causing ballooning deficits and forcing expected retirees to sacrifice healthcare and retirement benefits. Dismissing the polls won't change reality.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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